Sinus lift surgery is a treatment approach your dentist may recommend when you desire dental implants but don't have enough jaw bone to secure the implant. 

Other names for this procedure include sinus augmentation or sinus graft. Several kinds of medical specialist may preform this procedure, such as a periodontists or oral surgeons.

There are lots of techniques that a dental specialist can use to perform sinus lift surgery. 

Why it's done

A sinus lift refers to the augmentation or lifting up of the maxillary sinus to make room for new bone. 

The maxillary sinuses are air-filled cavities that are located just above the back portion of the maxilla or upper jaw. By lifting the sinus and grafting bone in between, there's more bone for a doctor to place a dental implant.

If you don't have enough upper jaw bone, the implant can't properly anchor, and your new dental implant can't perform some more demanding tasks, such as chewing.

Without enough bone, the dental implant won't properly secure and can fail. Some of the reasons why you may have experience bone loss in the jaw include:

• birth defects
• cancer
• natural variation, where your sinus cavities are very large or jawbone very thin
• periodontal disease

Also, bone in the jaw can be a use-it-or-lose-it prospect. If you have experienced tooth loss, your jawbone may start to get thinner over time.